Our daily lives are full of mundane and boring tasks. They start pretty much as soon as we wake up and carry on through the day until we go to sleep in the evening. Making the bed. Cleaning the house. Mowing the lawn. Washing the dishes. Ironing clothes. Grocery shopping. Waiting in traffic. The list goes on and on. Our lives are so boring, it’s a wonder more people don’t actually keel over and die of boredom.

It doesn’t have to be like that at all though. There are those out there who have found ways to make each and every tasks they have to perform more fun than it usually is. Take, for example, grocery shopping. What used to be a boring trek three or four times around a gigantic hypermarket, wishing you could afford more of the nicely packaged goods on the shelves, can be turned into an event which the whole family looks forward to. Make sure you go shopping with at least one other family member. Divide the shopping list between you and take along a couple of hoverboards or Segways to help you get around more speedily. If you don’t have a hoverboard or a Segway, surf on over to The Electric Rider to take a squizz. Now, once you’re in the supermarket, split up and race around the store trying to cross every item off your part of list before your family member does. The winner is the one who gets everything they need on their list first. When this activity goes well, it can make you wish you could go grocery shopping a couple times every day.

Turning a chore into a game is a great way of making boring tasks more enjoyable. You can use it to make tasks such as dusting (spraying on the polish and wiping it off quickly) and many others. However, it’s not the only way to make your chores more fun.

Lots of tasks can be done without requiring much mental attention, for example ironing, washing dishes and so on. These tasks require physical effort but they’re boring because you can do them with your brain switched off. Well, guess what? Your brain can be doing other things! Use speakerphone to call up your friends and catch up. Put on a movie and enjoy it. Listen to some music you haven’t heard in a while or put on talk radio. If you can free up a hand once in a while to turn a page, read a book or an e-reader. There are lots of tasks you can do like this. You can even invite your friends over, enjoy a coffee with them as you finish folding the clothes.

Another way to make the most boring task more fun is to teach a child how to do it. Let’s say you need to clear the driveway of snow. Instead of shoveling away by yourself, you can share the work and the experience with one of your children. Not only are you teaching them an exciting new skill, you’re halving the work that needs to be done. And in the future you can delegate 100% of the work to them as one of their household chores.

On the other hand, you might not want to delegate the work if you buy a contraption to make it more exciting. Clearing the driveway with a snow blower is way more fun than doing it with a couple of shovels. Your children will be keen to try it out and the chore might actually turn into a reward for doing other chores well. This works if you buy a sit-in lawnmower, a power washer and other similar tools.

A final way to make tasks more fun, and easier is to analyze and focus on what you are doing and why you are doing it. This will help you to find more efficient and better ways of getting the job done. You may find that you are wasting your time with certain elements of the job. Striving to improve your performance will make the job easier for you in the future and give you a sense of satisfaction.

It’s kind of accepted these days that working adults should feel tired and worn out 100% of their waking lives. There’s something wrong if they don’t. When we turn up to work, we want our colleagues to look like they’re just about clinging on to their health and sanity. When we say “How are ya?”, we want to hear people say “I’m hangin’ in there”, or “I’ve had better days”. At least people who say things like “I’m fine” or “Great” should certainly not look fine or great. They should look like they just produce that word without thinking, along with a soulless stare into nothingness, their minds not being able to summon up any other response. Anyone who seems genuinely happy or healthy is viewed with the utmost suspicion. They must be work-shy, living out of mommy and daddy’s pockets, or – even worse – involved in banking, government or some other dishonest pursuit which has its fingers in our pockets.

This culture of work and keeping busy is all wrong. It’s not good for people at all. Many of us are ground down to the point where we can’t see a way out. We listen to people who come out with trite phrases such as “idle hands are the Devil’s workshop” and “we often miss opportunity because it looks like hard work”, as if there were only two options – complete idleness and complete burn-out. Finding a balance isn’t talked about.

Many who try to find a good balance between work and real life will find those around them turn on them. They probably won’t know about it unless they spot the knives being sharpened in the rear-view mirror, however. The sharpest blade will be drawn by your boss, who, after wholeheartedly agreeing with your need to work less overtime, will now chop your chances of being promoted down to zero. They might even start looking for ways to get rid of you altogether. Your parents might call you lazy and unambitious. Your kids might despise you for being at home too often, but not being able to buy them everything they demand any more. Your spouse might decide you’ve reneged on the unofficial terms of partnership and start looking for a more hardworking and generous benefactor.

The thing is, if you are serious about taking care of yourself, you just have to accept all that. If people ditch you, well, you’ve gotten rid of a burden or a parasite. If you don’t get that promotion, thank heavens, you’ve got more time to enjoy your life, not slaving away to make some fat cats even fatter. And if that means you can’t afford your mortgage, you’re living in the wrong house. Go find somewhere that you don’t have to damage your health in order to afford.

Spend the extra money on things which will make you feel good when you get out of bed –invest in some memory foam like this:http://www.foamnights.com/reviews/12-inch-and-more/. Treat yourself to a couple weeks on the beach. Then treat the kids to a couple more weeks learning how to fish. Have a lie in on the weekends. Enjoy breakfast in bed. Turn the TV off and chat with your family. Make sure you sit down and enjoy every meal. Buy the best and healthiest fresh ingredients. Eat slowly and savor the taste. Laugh about how you used to force food down at roadside stops or in the car without tasting it.

Read books, get out into the countryside. Take up a new hobby, a new sport. Learn a language and travel to a new country every year. Talk to strangers, try to learn from them. Learn and use a new word every day. Make a new word up every other day and each it to someone.

If you have the courage and strength to do these things and really take care of yourself, it will just be a matter of time before you become unrecognizable: healthy-looking, fresh-faced and raring to go. Just the type of person who, when asked how you are, answers “every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better”, much to the chagrin of the wage-slaves you long since left behind.

It’s a question that’s all too seldom asked: what’s the best way to make use of the extra space you have when you move into a larger home?

Most often, larger homes end up feeling decidedly empty. Wide spaces are filled with dining tables which are never used, or turned into a variety of shrines – trophy rooms, displays of old records, model train sets and the like. In the day-to-day life of the house they are ignored and passed by. As these spaces don’t have any functional use, it’s better to keep people away from them as much as possible, as people create dirt, and dirt needs cleaning. There’s not much joy to be had having to regularly clean large spaces and rooms which are not used. It’s both a thankless and pointless task.

Such large unused spaces often have an adverse effect of the valuation of the property when it comes to be sold, too. Viewers who are expected to admire all the extra space suddenly see that it’s not put to use. They can’t see the point of it, but they’re aware that it needs heating and cleaning. They start to wonder whether they’d be better off looking at some smaller places instead.

Rather than letting such soulless and empty spaces exist in your home, try to give them a use and a purpose. When a room is regularly put to use, nobody resents the fact that it has to be heated and cleaned.

One of the most popular ideas for such spaces and rooms is to create a home gym. If you decide to go down this route, remember that you’re not trying to go into competition with your regular gym. A home gym doesn’t need the variety of machines and luxuries that you might find in a high end commercial gym. Sure, kit it out with speakers and a screen if that’s what you like, but don’t go overboard. Choose a small number of your favorite machines, such as these from Indoor Ellipticals, a water dispenser, plus a mat and equipment such as the Swiss Ball and so on, if that’s your thing. Now you’re more likely to use the space and you’re more likely to actually get a workout, too.

If the space you’re thinking about is in a different part of the building from the bedrooms, you could build a music studio and practice room. This is a great idea if you have kids who are interested in music or who are learning to play instruments.

You should have a professional over who can advise you about soundproofing the space as much as possible in addition to tweaking the overall acoustics of the space.

You’ll need to make sure there are adequate power sockets, as even acoustic instruments have to be recorded with microphones, and then you have the typical studio equipment – mixing desk, computers, monitors, speakers and so on. In a typical band recording studio, the desk is separated from the instruments by a screen, so that the producer can face the musicians. In effect, you are partitioning off part of the room. As for the décor, lighting and so on, that’s completely up to you, but you can have a lot of fun letting your creative urges loose.

Another popular use of extra space is to build a home workshop. The main thing to remember here is access. If you imagine yourself having trouble carting power tools and timber boards through the front door, up some stairs, around the corner and into your new workshop, imagine just how difficult it will be to get the cupboards, cabinets, tables and other things you build out of there. Garage spaces make great workshops for just this reason. You’ll also need to ensure that the space is adequately ventilated, especially if you’re going to sawing wood or using noxious chemicals and solvents.

Whatever you decide to do with the space, make sure it’s something you care about. If you have no interest in painting, don’t turn it into an artist’s studio. You’ll never use it. If you love reading, turn it into a library. If you love the idea of reading but never actually do any, don’t bother.

My mom called me up one day and told me that she was going to the doctor and wanted me to tag along. Normally this was strange for her to ask, as she always has her sister or my sister with her. Being the youngest, she tried to shield me from some of the knowledge of her deteriorating condition. She had been in a car accident when I was only a few years old and during that accident she unknowingly cracked her neck, almost to a full break. I was more than happy to go to the doctor with her and find out if I could help her in any way.

The Results of the Visit

While we were at the doctors, she confided in me that she had left some things out when telling me everything that was going on with her. I asked her what she meant and she began to tell me that her spine is in bad shape. She has a few conditions that do not allow her to comfortably sleep, so they have her on medication to knock her out just so she can sleep. The pain, she claimed, was unbearable and someone had to do something soon.

I allowed her privacy while she was in with the doctor as he wanted to check her over to see how her psoriasis was doing. When I came back into the room, he was just about to walk out. She looked at me and said, “We have to replace a few things in the house to help support my back and keep it from being further damaged.” I figured she meant to purchase a few matts for her couch and chair, or possible some cushions for the kitchen table, but she meant that she needed a mattress replacement.

Replacing Her Mattress

The department store that we went to had several mattresses that were designed to support the user’s back and prevent back pains. The issue with many of those was that the pain was already there and she needed something to support her individual body. We came across the memory foam mattresses and she addressed an associate regarding the safety hazards and flammability. The associate quietly explained that many of the mattresses are fire proof and do not engulf your entire body, but merely cradles it.

She finally asked the associate which was the best memory foam mattress to purchase for those with pre-existing back pains, and the associate carried her to the bed she purchased. Later that evening they delivered it to her home and we prepared it with sheets and other bedding to make it more comfortable. She slept on it for the first time the second night she had it, the first she had slept for a few minutes throughout the night.

When she finally decided to sleep on it, she complained that we didn’t let her sleep long enough. She actually slept throughout the night, with the aid of medication, but that morning she woke up in less pain than she was used to being in. She raved about the mattress for weeks until her next doctor’s appointment. I asked her in advance if I could come with her to it because I wanted to hear the great news she had to tell him.

At the doctor appointment she explained her discomfort with considering a new mattress but that she was more than happy with her purchase and would not be switching to the older spring mattress models ever again. The doctor informed her that she should attempt to sleep without medication after a few weeks. If she succeeded, the mattress definitely had a positive influence on her condition and her sleeping issues.

Although there were many issues that she had to take care of to properly tend to her health, the mattress was the very first step in creating a healthier, pain free lifestyle for my aging mother. After a few years we will work to replace that mattress with a fresh one so that she can continue to wake up feeling refreshed and brand new. Our next goals would consist of making it easier for her to get around her two story home, challenge accepted.

I have always been the type of person who enjoys helping other people, so when I left high school, it was a natural progression for me to look for a career in nursing or caring.

My first job was as a domestic assistant in a hospital, I was basically a glorified cleaner, but I realised through this job that I wanted to work within this kind of environment, but I wanted a more hands on job, one in which I could really help people, either through medical care or a simple shoulder to cry on.

A job came up on one of the wards, and I was good friends with a few of the nurses that worked there. It was a nursing assistant. I would be able to learn the trade and earn at the same time, this was perfect, a job I truly wanted to get involved in and I would be paid at the same time. I applied and got the job, my journey into nursing began.

Glitz and Glamour

I was well aware that this job would be a mile away from the jobs that some of my friends were working towards. Most of them had decided on jobs within the beauty industry and none of them could understand my career choice, if you look at the things my job involved, I guess I could see why they questioned my choice. All of that aside, I knew it was the right choice for me.

There were parts of the job that I found very hard. The emotional side of things were extremely tough, far beyond what I had imagined, but I stuck by it and with the support of my fellow nurses, after 3 years I had passed all of my exams and was a qualified nurse. Working in the hospital was fantastic, but I knew I wanted more.

A Real Chance to Succeed

Looking through one of the local papers, I noticed an advertisement in the jobsvacant section. A local residential nursing home were looking for a qualified nurse, this was absolutely perfect. The home was three blocks from my house, and working with the elderly was exactly what I wanted to do. I applied for only the second job of my career, and I succeeded. I started the job and after 3 years I was promoted to home manager.

While I wasn’t in such a hands on role, I could make a real difference to the patients, and their families lives. I took pride in my work, and the homes results reflected this.

A Day Out

Many of our residents had families that would visit. The families would take their loved ones on days out, and have them over for the holidays but a few of them were not so lucky. Their families had passed long ago, and were dying for some love and attention. I took it upon myself to suggest a monthly outing where the home would take anyone who wanted to go on different trips.

While some of the families could afford to pay for the trips, a lot simply didn’t have money to lavish on trips like this, but our home was most definitely not going to discriminate against the less wealthy residents.

We often held fund raising evenings including bingo and card playing nights but a particular favourite amongst the family and friends of residents were the raffles we would hold. These little things always managed to produce enough funds for a day out.

I would always try to put a kitchen appliance that the residents would have used when they lived independently on the prize list. There were many appliances to choose from. A particular success was a stand mixer, to find an affordable model I looked on the internet and found a website, at http://www.standmixerdiscount.com/ I was able to find an affordable appliance that would make the perfect prize.

A Winning Formula

With the fund raising activities we hosted on a monthly basis, all of the residents managed to get out of the home regularly. I would receive letters from family members informing me of how much the days out meant to everyone involved. I guess you could say my choice of career has been well worth all of the hard work. I set a goal, and that was to help people. I guess I found a winning formula along the way.

There were many things in life that we would love to do, but our finances didn’t allow us to really do much at all. We were either working all the time or didn’t have the money to go the extra mile or even see a movie with the kids. Instead of continuing on the way we were going and wasting what childhood they had left, as two were about to hit the double digits, I decided that I would take on a side job cleaning houses on the weekend and after work throughout the week.

I posted an ad in the paper describing who I was and what I was offering. A few days into the ad being posted, I received a few phone calls, one of which was unforgettable. An older woman, probably around her seventieth birthday, called requesting that someone clean her house just once that upcoming weekend. I agreed delightedly and made arrangements to be at her home promptly at nine that morning.

That Saturday

The alarm clock rang and woke me up around 6:00. I had previously hit the snooze button because that seems to be a habit of mine in the morning. Once the second alarm rang, I hopped up ready to venture out on my first job as a housekeeper, or house cleaner. I arrived at the home on time, in fact I was a few minutes earlier than nine. I knocked lightly on the door and was greeted by a white haired lady with a pleasant smile.

She showed me around the house and explained what exactly she wanted me to clean. It wasn’t a tough list, or a long one, but it was specific. I began promptly and completed a few jobs on the list before heading into the kitchen to complete those tasks. The lady came in behind me and made a few comments regarding how well I was doing. She then began to pull appliances out of the cabinet and tell me about them.

Many of them she had received as gifts, but her favorite one was cracked and unusable. It was a rice cooker that looked as if it came out forty or fifty years ago. She claimed how she enjoyed cooking meals for her husband before he passed away. She shared fond memories of cooking delicious meals and treating her neighbors to dinner at least once a month. She was a chef by hobby. I finished in the kitchen and moved on to the very last task, of sweeping off her front porch.

Upon walking out the door, she handed me an envelope with the money I had made that day for cleaning up her home. Without thinking, I looked at her thanked her and flashed my best smile. I told her that I would like to return if she would allow it, if only to check up on her and see how she’s doing. Because she had no other family in the area, she had nobody to help or look after her. She accepted with a smile and a tear and we parted ways.

Returning Sunday

I began thinking about the old lady later that evening. She had loved cooking so much, but over time her appliances had aged to the point where they were unusable. I decided that I was going to replace the one cooker that she loved so much. I went into the department store and searched the shelf for the best rice cooker in 2016. I even asked a few clerks if they had had any issues with people returning this cooker. Once I had decided, I began to drive a little faster than normal to the old lady’s house. I made sure to grab a gift bag to place the box inside of. I arrived at her house, wrapped the box quickly, than began the venture up her old Victorian front stairs. I gently knocked on the door and was greeted by the same friendly face as the day before.

She escorted me inside and we sat in the living room. I placed the box at her feet in front of her as she sat down. She grinned at me with a confused look while I told her of how I felt that she could use this and because she was so very nice to me, I wanted to do something nice for her, that she didn’t have to pay for. We became great friends after that and I continued to visit her every other Sunday afterwards.

I am lucky enough to live in a state which has hot summers, and feel blessed to have a friend with a swimming pool. We are often invited over to spend a weekend at our friend’s place, which usually involves the children playing in the pool, a generous amount of sunbathing and plenty of food and drink.

While my friend is a great cook, a bar tender they most definitely are not. I am by no way complaining, but the drinks usually consist of beer and wine, and for me, the perfect afternoon in the sun would involve a cheeky cocktail or two.

A Normal Sunday Afternoon

It is very normal for our friends to invite us over on a Sunday for a good catch up and a little bit of a party. The BBQ would usually make an appearance and the usual wine and beer would flow. Only this time my friend decided to provide cocktails. While the cocktails were a fantastic change from the normal beer, they were served warm, and soon everyone had turned back to the beer out of the coolers.
This really wasn’t a problem, it was always a great afternoon and the food was typically amazing, my friend was an incredible cook and could rustle up some amazing dishes and make it look so easy.

The warm cocktails soon became a running joke, with us all renaming the classic cocktails in order to poke fun at our friends, it was all light hearted and everyone took it in the manner in which it was intended.

A Little Thank You

The night after the last BBQ, my husband and I thought it was about time to thank our friends for the hospitality that they continuously showed us. We put our heads together and tried to come up with different ideas to show them how much we appreciated all they have done for us.

Several ideas came to mind but one shone out to both of us, one which would have a little humour but at the same time, thank them for all of the parties they had hosted for us.

We decided to hire a professional catering company to host an afternoon. This would include a professional mixologist (a professional cocktail maker) and a chef to prepare some amazing dishes.

Because we didn’t have a pool, my husband went to a local store and bought a large kids paddling pool. Not quite the luxury they were used to, but the kids would enjoy it just the same. We also bought some beach style accessories to decorate the garden with, the whole garden was to be transformed into a beach scene for the day.

A Fantastic Night

We invited our friends over for the arranged date, and set to work preparing the garden for our gathering. My husband is a tradesman so placed a sheet on the lawn and asked his boss for some sand, this created a beach, the paddling pool was huge and set the scene off perfectly. The catering company arrived the night before to unload all of the equipment for the next day. The only thing missing was an ice machine. I couldn’t supply warm cocktails too, I would never live it down. I took to the internet to do some research on the double, I found a great website called http://www.icemakercubes.com/ and found the perfect ice making machine that I could give to our guests as a thank you present after the party. I managed to source the correct model and picked it up on the morning of our party.

The afternoon was fantastic, our friends were overwhelmed that we had made such a big effort and found the funny side to our little dig with the cold cocktails. The food went down a treat and the mixologist even gave us all a free lesson on mixing the perfect cocktail for our next party.

We have had many parties since, and I’m glad to report that all of the cocktails have been chilled to perfection since.

My husband and I are lucky enough to have good jobs which provide a nice house, a reliable car and we try to go on at least two vacations a year. We both adore the beach and would agree that the perfect day would be spent with the sun on our backs and a cocktail in hand.
Two years ago our life changed dramatically, we found out that I was pregnant. At first, we were nervous and a little anxious, but we soon came around to the idea of becoming parents.

Like many aspects of our lives, we tried to plan for every situation that we could possibly face. We made sure we had as many gadgets that would make our lives as easy as possible. The nursery was complete three months before our baby arrived, and I must admit, it was fit for a princess!

New Arrival

Our baby, Jessica, arrived as planned, and like many new parents, our only wish for was a happy and healthy baby. We were blessed and everything went very well. I had read some terrifying stories, but thankfully, we weren’t cursed with bad luck and had no major problems to report.

The first three months came as a bit of a shock, new born babies don’t come with a manual after all! Sleepless nights, a crying baby and endless amounts of washing, but it was all worth it.

When Jessica was a new born, feeding was easy, babies only consume one thing… milk!!
As Jessica got older, we found that finding healthy foods was a problem. We tried numerous manufactured foods, but she didn’t seem to like any of them. I had read a few articles about making your own food, so thought that I would give it a shot.
The recipes were simple, basically fruit, vegetables (and meat if you choose) could be blended into the correct texture. Making your own food is fantastic, you can be sure of what is going into each meal. No additives or preservatives, just good wholesome food.
After deciding that homemade food was the route I was going to take, I decided to look into buying a good quality blender. I found a website called http://www.blendaway.us/ and they gave me all of the information I needed to make a choice on the blender that was right for me.

A Perfect Solution

Feeding Jessica became so easy, I could knock up a large batch of blended vegetables and freeze it, then defrost ready for use as and when I needed it. Not only was this a fantastic solution because I knew what was going into the food, it seemed that Jessica couldn’t get enough of my home made meals too. A baby that is eating regularly is generally a healthy one, this took some of my major concerns away. It really was the perfect solution.

When it came to moving onto solids, Jessica was already used to vegetables and fruit, so a balanced and healthy menu wasn’t a problem. I understand a lot of children turn those types of food away, but because healthy food was all she was given, she really didn’t know any different. We were more than happy with our decision to opt for home-made baby food.

Two years have passed since our life changing turn of events, and if I am honest, I wouldn’t change her for anything. Even though we both had reservations about being able to provide her with all she needs, and maintain our lifestyle, these reservations later proved to be unfounded.

We still manage to go on vacation, even if our latest trips are to places more suited to Jessica. We are both enjoying parenthood, and even though it is hard work, it has turned out to be the most rewarding of tasks either of us have ever had to face.

Children often complain of feeling bored in their free time these days. Many kids are left alone to watch TV or play video games all weekend. Their parents might not know it, but they are actually neglecting their children’s needs by letting them do so. By having their kids help with household tasks, they not only make their own lives easier, but they give the child new skills, confidence and self-esteem. Furthermore, the child is unlikely to feel bored and will appreciate their play time more in the future.

Whatever tasks you decide to let your child do, you’ll need to take the time to teach them and supervise them until you are certain that they can do it safely and to a good standard. This will require an investment of your time, but that is what good parenting is about. Time spent with a child by their parent is worth a million times more than the most expensive games console or doll’s house. You are likely to experience resistance at some point. This is where you need to be firm and teach discipline and responsibility. Don’t let the child control you by sulking or throwing a tantrum. Such behavior in adult life will land them in big trouble. You’re not doing them any favors at all if you cave in.

Of course, the chores your child can do will be limited by their age. A five year-old is not going to be able to pick up the groceries or mow the lawn. At such a young age, start them off with tasks such as folding and putting away clothes. Start with easy items such as socks, but they will also be able to cope with complicated items such as shirts with your guidance and plenty of practice. When they can eventually do it for themselves, they will feel a sense of achievement that will boost their confidence.

Around this age, it’s important to have kids clean up after themselves. Make sure they know how to tidy their own room and expect they do it without having to be told. It’s probably too early for them to be cleaning their rooms as they will come into contact with hazardous substances – this can wait a few years, although you can let them do it under strict supervision.

After a couple of years, start teaching the child how to make simple snacks, sandwiches, salads and so on. Use your common sense – don’t have them lifting heavy trays out of scorching ovens or anything. They might be able to use the microwave, the grill, the toaster etc. Stress the importance of hygiene and cleaning up after themselves. Once they can do this for themselves, you can assign them responsibility for making snacks one day a week, or for preparing a family breakfast on the weekend.

As a child approaches their teenage years, the number and variety of tasks they can do will increase dramatically. Pretty much anything that can’t go too badly wrong can be given to them at this point. Remember always to show your appreciation and reward your child’s acceptance of greater responsibility with greater freedom. For example, if your child can reliably wake themselves up, do the laundry, make breakfast, mow the lawn and pick up the groceries, in addition to keeping on top of their schoolwork, you really have no grounds to stop them attending a birthday party or playing outside with their friends, provided that they are safe

Some tasks can be made fun, so much so that children look forward to doing them. An example of this is washing your car. Many kids love covering the car in a thick lather and then throwing on the water to rinse it off. To make this even more fun, you can get a pressure washer from http://www.washwisely.com/ for your child to use. Pretty soon the neighbors’ kids will be knocking on your door asking if they can help wash your car, too.

Give your child feedback and tips to help them along. Listen to them too. If they constantly tell you they don’t like something, it may be due to something they can’t express. For example, if a child repeatedly complains about washing the dishes, it may be that their skin is sensitive to the soap being used. Paying attention to your kids in this way is what good parenting is all about.

People spend a lot of money on their homes. Not just on the buildings and the land, but on decorating, redecorating, extending, renovating and so on. A home can become a bottomless pit into which people pour their incomes without wondering whether they’ll see them again. We live in a consumer age of buying things, disposing of them and replacing them with more bought stuff. Things weren’t always like this. There was a more sober time when people didn’t fritter away the proceeds from selling their time so easily. It was an age of building and making things you needed and repairing things that were broken.

Thankfully it’s still possible to do those things even in this day and age. For example 3D printers such as these shown at Lady 3D, can be used to make and repair items that we might otherwise just buy. 3D printers still have their limitations and can be expensive to use, but there is a trade-off there as they allow talentless people to make products that they wouldn’t be able to do manually. You can also create your own products and try to sell them on the market. This isn’t as unrealistic as it sounds – 3D printed prosthetic limbs are now big business in Uganda.

For those people out there who have a truly creative side – people who work with their hands such as carpenters and sempsters, it has long been a tradition to make and repair household furniture and tools. The initial outlay for tools, materials and above all, training for this is very significant. However, if you’re willing to make the commitment, you get a skill which will both save you money at home and provide you with an income.

One way in which people recklessly tip money into their homes, only for it to fly out through the windows and walls never to be seen again, is by buying power. In colder climates, a lot of this can be accounted for by heating. You may have chosen the most energy efficient source for your heating, but if your house isn’t insulated properly, it all ends up getting wasted anyway. It can be difficult to located the source of energy leaks unless you invest in a spot infrared thermometer which will show you where the heat is escaping from. If you know where the problem lies, you know where to fix it. So a spot infrared thermometer is a great money-saving investment for your household.

Conversely, if you live in a hot climate, you may be blowing a good portion of your monthly salary on powering your air conditioning unit. You might want to consider getting rid of the unit altogether and investing in one or two ceiling fans. People often aren’t aware of the effectiveness of ceiling fans, which do a better job of circulating the air in a room and helping you feel cool. The best thing is that they use a fraction of the energy needed to power an air conditioning unit, so every moment you are using a ceiling fan instead of an air conditioner, you are saving money.

Another money saving gadget you might already have but not be making full use of is the laptop. These portable machines combined with modern software and an internet connection can serve as replacements for multiple household objects – telephones, televisions, DVD players, stereos, games machines, board games, books, encyclopedias and more. What is the point of paying a lot of money for a TV and then having to pay for a monthly license on top of it when you can watch all the TV you want on your laptop for free?

Other items you should be using to stop throwing your money away so recklessly include rechargeable batteries, baking soda (using it for cooking, cleaning, clearing up throat infections and as a de-icer), a water filter allowing you to drink directly from the faucet and avoid paying an extortionate amount for a bottle of water filled up in France and flown half way around the world for you to nail and chuck in all of ten seconds. Also try to get fluoride added to your water supply. This will save you potentially tens of thousands of dollars in dental work.

A generation ago, it would have been considered slightly ridiculous to write an article with this title. In all but the most dysfunctional families, dads and their lads didn’t need to be told how to spend time together. Regardless of how young or old they are, they’ve always sought out time together and bonded naturally.

In recent years, however, this essential bonding has suffered from multiple threats. In many households, a child’s best friend, mentor and idol is now his games console – the only time they would want to spend time with their father would be possibly to play a two-player game of Call of Duty or to show off their virtual gangster life on Grand Theft Auto. That is, of course, if the father can and will make time to spend with his son. Sometimes it’s easier to blame the pressures of work or jobs that need doing around the house in order to avoid having to make the effort to connect with their progeny. Somehow, they still manage to fit in the odd trip to the pub, though.

All of this will later be regretted by both father and son, as they grow older and wonder who this person is that they should feel some connection to, but where there is nothing. If any of this sounds familiar to you, it’s time to fix the problem. Depending on the age of your son, you may find it relatively easy to make up for lost time, or you may even encounter resistance. Be patient and keep a sense of humour with you.

Sports have long been a pastime enjoyed by both father and son. Many professional footballers have their fathers to thank for introducing them to the beautiful game – for teaching them how to dribble the ball, to play headers and volleys and of course, to feign kicking with a step-over. This is all well and good. Later on, dads might become involved in their sons’ football teams, perhaps as a coach or just helping out with ferrying the kids to and from matches. This is still bonding, but to a lesser extent. Your child isn’t bonding with you when he is on the pitch – he might even forget that you are watching.

Try doing something together that you can both get excited about. Teach your son about chess. Of course he won’t be able to win at first, but you can explain to him his options as he goes along and then show moves which would have worked better that he can try the next time. It may take some time, but when he eventually does beat you, he will feel both pride in his achievement and gratitude for your teaching.

Other hobbies which work are creative ones like metalwork and woodwork. Perhaps you could buy your son some tools for his birthday, something along the lines of the tools seen at http://www.drillsanddrivers.com. Choose an interesting-looking project together and start to build it. You may have to guide your son a great deal at first and watch him closely for his own safety. But when he is older and can kit out his new house with his own crafted furniture, he will thank you from the bottom of his heart for giving him so much more than the tools as a gift.

Take a look at the skills you have. Perhaps you acquired some of them thanks to your own father. Wouldn’t it be a real honour to pass those skills on to your own son? He may well pass them on to his own son one day! So, if you can sail, take your son along and teach him. If you can build walls, get your son to help you out with some projects. If you’re a computer programmer, show your son the joy he can get from writing his first programme (10 PRINT “HELLO”, 20 GOTO 10, anyone?)

So next time you’re putting your coat on to go to the pub and you look over and see your son glued to the screen, carrying out a virtual car-jacking or crack heist, stop and imagine all the time you have lost and will continue to lose if you don’t turn around and go to speak with him.

There are few things more invigorating, more liberating, more downright American, than a good, long road trip. Whether you’re headed cross-country or just across your state; getting you and a few buddies together is a great way to relax and unwind. Maybe you’re taking the family on vacation by way of the open road so everyone can finally spend some quality time together. You don’t really need a reason to take a road trip, all you need is a reliable automobile and some essentials to make getting there all the more fun.

This is a list of some absolute necessities that you’ll need to have squared away before you head out. Some of them are no-brainers, others you may not have thought of yet; but all of them will ensure your trip is a memorable one…for all the right reasons. Because there’s nothing worse than getting stranded along Route 50 in the Nevada desert; once named The Loneliest Road in America by Life magazine.

• Get a Check Up

Not you, the car. The last thing you want to do is suffer a blowout or some other road incident that you weren’t expecting. Bring it in to your mechanic or the local gas station. Check the tire pressure, get an alignment so the wheels don’t shimmy and cause undue stress on your vehicle. Check the oil, spark plugs, just a quick once over to make sure the car’s in good shape and you’ll make it to your destination.

• Tire Gauge

Okay, so maybe you didn’t listen to me on the first one. At least have a tire gauge with you in the glove compartment. If your pressure is low, the car is going to feel it and so will you. It’s also not a great idea to drive long distances on improperly filled tires, it’ll kill your gas mileage. Sure, you can pull over and try to use one of those beat up tire gauges at a filling station off the highway. When was the last time anyone calibrated or checked to make sure those were accurate? Exactly.

• Empty Gas Can

The gas gauge is closer to E than F. But why not push it? You’ve got another 20-30 miles left, at least. Yeah, we’ve all said the same thing. Then we end up on the side of the road. If you’re one of these types of gamblers, better to have an empty gas can in the trunk. Just in case.

• Extra Engine Oil

Road trips are taxing on your engine. If you didn’t check your oil before you left, you’ll likely remember to do so during the trip and it’s always good to keep an extra bottle with you for a top off if necessary.

• GPS System

Most late model cars have some form of GPS in them already but if you’ve got an older vehicle, then you’ll probably want to invest in a good GPS device. Garmin and TomTom make some great products suitable for all types of budgets. The only thing worse than getting stuck is getting lost.

• Good Snacks

You need enough provisions on hand to keep that road trip moving. You don’t want to keep stopping every time someone gets hungry or thirsty and for those who have certain dietary requirements it’s an absolute essential to have the right snacks on hand. Some travelers even bring along fruits, nuts, protein powders, and any variety of supplies along with a portable blender to process it all into a smoothie or handy-dandy little snack. There are a whole bunch to choose from at http://www.mrsfoodprep.com/ for those health conscious road-trippers.

• Radar or Laser Detection

All of us get a lead foot now and then. To make sure you avoid any smokeys out there, a good radar or laser detector is the best investment you can make. It’s not a license to speed, but if you do find yourself moving at a pretty good clip, the last thing you want is a ticket.

• Dual Cigarette Lighter Adapter

There are car chargers for everything now. Smartphones, laptops, mp3 players, and more. But you only have one outlet, maybe two. Now you’ve just doubled up. You’re welcome.

These are certainly just a good starting point. It’s your road trip, you can bring along whatever else you think you’ll need or want. It all really depends on where you’re going, how far away it is, any stops you plan on making, and how long you’re going to be in the car. Plan accordingly and happy motoring!

Whether you are embarking on a juicing fast or just want to incorporate more nutrients into your diet, juicing is a great thing.

What you will need when juicing, is a good juicer. Here is a list of the top 4 machines on the market today. 

1. Bella Nutripro Cold Press Juicer 

Features: 

• Retains nutrients for optimal health
• Bladeless technology
• Continuous, jam-resistant juicing
• Easy to clean, dishwasher safe
• Quiet operation, no spinning blades
• Delicious, healthy recipes included 

This juicer boasts something called bladeless technology, alongside its cold press juicer, it helps you to get the most out of your produce. This juicer makes light work of juicing both fruits and vegetables. Some machines can be complicated to assemble, this however, was simple and most parts are dishwasher safe too. It is easy to clean the rest of the machine by hand. It is one of the pricier juicing machines on the market but is well worth the price.

2. Breville The Juice Fountain Duo 

Features: 

• The puree disc for waste-free juicing of soft fruits and vegetables
• Electronic 5 speed dial maximizes juice yield from soft fruits and leafy greens, to harder fruits and vegetables
• 1200 watt motor
• Heavy grade die-cast metal body
• 3-Inch feed tube processes whole fruit 

If you’re looking for a juicer with a variety of settings for different fruits and vegetables, the Breville juice fountain duo is perfect for you. This juicer has five speeds, for everything from peaches to beets. It is brilliant at juicing whole carrots and apples, and juices leafy greens so easily too. The large feed chute, excellent, easy to read and understand user manual, makes both preparation and juicing virtually effortless. This juicer has some of the best juicer reviews online, so be sure to check them out.

3. Omega Mega Mouth 330 Juicer 

Features: 

• 3″ mega mouth feed chute makes juicing a breeze and offers a faster output of juice
• This juicer is rugged and durable against even the toughest fruits and vegetables
• The juicer’s plastic body is grey metallic with a stainless steel bowl and blade
• Includes a pulp catch basket for automatic pulp ejection

If you are in the market for a good all rounder, this is the juicer for you. The omega big mouth speedily squeezes every drop out of carrots, apples, and kale. It is so easy to use, and the large chute accommodates a whole apple, oranges, avocados, which will seriously cut down your prep time. Its sturdy construction keeps it from sliding around during use, and a single on/off button makes it simple to use.

4. DeLonghi Induction Juice Extractor 

Features: 

• Makes a quart of juice in 1 minute at an agreeably low noise level with the special induction motor
• Quick juice extraction with the durable stainless steel centrifuge. It uses blades and a sieve to separate the juice from the pulp
• Juice whole apples, pears and larger fruit without having to cut into pieces due to the large feed tube
• Easy-to-clean with removable, dishwasher-safe parts 

If you love leafy greens, you will appreciate the DeLonghi induction juice extractor. It is so good at squeezing every last drop of goodness from kale and leaves. This appliance is also great at juicing apples and carrots.  It is easy to use and has a relatively small footprint, making it a good choice if counter space is limited. Most of its parts are dishwasher safe and the body of the machine is easy to clean by hand.

In Summary

There is so much choice out there, your choice should be dependent on what your needs are. Large, small, expensive or economy. There really is machine on the market for everyone.

When the batteries in my drill stopped holding a charge, I decided to look into replacing them. I soon discovered that this can be fairly expensive. I soon came to realise that you can “hot rod” a battery, basically, this means repairing the battery yourself, but after looking at what was involved, I decided that this was unsafe and certainly not practical at all. I would rather invest in a new battery and ensure I was safe whilst using the drill.

As I mentioned earlier, batteries can be expensive to replace. In fact, it is sometimes more cost effective to replace the whole unit. When you buy a “bare unit” (basically, the drill without batteries or charger) you can usually spend as little as half the price of a set that is supplied with batteries and charger.

I soon realised that my old drills were basically worthless without batteries, so I decided to replace the whole unit.

The next task was to decide on which type of battery would give me the longest lasting life span, take the least maintenance, have the highest working times and the best value for money. There are 3 types of battery:

• Nickel cadmium (NiCad)
• Nickel metal hybrid (NiMH)
• Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)

Each battery has pros and cons. The list I have compiled is basically the order in which they came onto the market. Like anything these days, things improve and become more user friendly. Plenty of information can be found about each of the batteries here at DrillsAndDrivers.com 

NiCad Batteries 

These batteries require substantial maintenance. You have to completely discharge the battery once a month to maintain peak performance, and with the fast paced life we all live today, this is far from practical. These also hold less charge than the other two (1.3 -2.2ah). Although they may suffer on the maintenance side of things, they do have a very long life; they are very durable and work well in hot or cold temperatures. Not many tools are supplied with these batteries in the modern market. 

NiMh Batteries 

These batteries require less looking after than the others. You would only have to discharge the battery once every three months. They charge and discharge quickly and they are more efficient than the aforementioned. The batteries are generally around 2.2-3.0ah. Although they are more user friendly than NiCad batteries, they are extremely sensitive to heat. 

LI-IoN Batteries 

Most modern drills you will buy today are supplied with this type of battery. They are the most advanced and user friendly of any available on the market today. They have a higher capacity than the others (3.0ah and above) and there is no discharge required with Li-Ion batteries. They are lighter and smaller than the others, which is a big reason for the rise in popularity. They are the most expensive of the three and have a shorter life span but are simply the quickest to charge, most powerful and the lightest!

Which to Buy?!? 

When I decided to replace my whole drill set rather than just the battery, my choice was clear. The more modern batteries are of a much higher quality and last longer. Most of the superior drills come with Li-Ion batteries, so I decided they are the obvious choice.

A great product usually defined from the popularity among people. Usually quality is defined by the comfort and the adaptability of the product towards the customers’ needs. For one to have a good night’s sleep, a person needs to have a great mattress, which one looks forward to going back too. Opinions of others are […]

It is not just robbery that needs to be addressed to when it comes to security of the property. There are several other things that need your attention like flood detectors, fire alarms, carbon monoxide detection alarms etc. You can also consider getting CCTV cameras installed at your property so as to enhance the security […]

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Our purchases in general, we seek perfection. Therefore, in many cases quality is definitely the key aspect we look for in a product. Hence, during the tough times of winter, we seek comfort in our homes with the right heating. Infrared heaters are known to produce the right amount of heat for a cozy home. […]

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Purchasing baby strollers requires research as a low quality stroller can result in accidents. In order to make sure that you make the right purchase, you can read reviews of the experts. While reading the great article shared by them, you will get to know about even the minute points that need to be looked […]

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If you are willing to buy e-cigarettes online, there are several things that you need to know. The first thing is that you should buy them only from a reputed website and brand. It is due to the fact that top notch brands offer high quality products that have long life. In addition to this, […]

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Many blenders and smoothie makers come with some recipe books. Some of them count dozens or even hundreds of recipes. These things are given as freebies, but they seriously skyrocket the price. Sure, having this book can be handy, but why spend a fortune on it when you can find millions of recipes over the […]

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What can be more cost efficient than a small ice maker? Most freezers do not have the capacity to create ice at such a fast rate. Even if they do, you will need hours or even days. Besides, if you have had ice from the freezer, you have probably noticed already that it has an […]

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Whether you want to lose weight or stay fit, setting your own fitness program will work wonders in the long run. Do it around your working and free time hours. However, it makes no difference if you plan to do it at home or reach to a gym. In any of these cases, make sure […]

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Memory foam mattresses provide customized support according to the shape of the body. When you lie down on your bed, the mattress gets molded without creating any pressure point on the body. Therefore, you do not feel ache when you wake up. To buy memory foam mattress contact www.finedreams.net. Benefits of memory foam mattress The […]

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Most of the malls and outlets have switched from traditional stores to automatic sliding doors as they offer a number of benefits. They not only add to the looks of the place but also enhance its functionality. These doors are energy efficient as they have double paned glass which prevents the loss of heat or […]

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